Hinged connection



May 19, 1925. 7 1,538,121

R. w. KUMLER HINGED CONNECTION Filea April 11, 1925 'INVENTOR.

y Pa 4/. [la/1Z0" a//hM/M ATTORNEY.

Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED BOY W. KUMLER, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Hansen CONNECTION.

Applicationfilediltpril.11, 1923. Serial No. 6 31,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatII' RoY WV. KU ILE a.

citizen of the United States, residing at De troit, county of lVayne, State of; Michigan,

haveinvente'd a certain newand useful Iin provement 1n Hinged, Connections and depertains to make and use the same, reference being; had to the accompanying drawings, which forn'ra part; of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hinged; connections.

In certain classes of hinged'connections in which relatively swinging sections are employed, the swinging/of one pivotall'y] sup ported panel section relative another causes an exposed surface of such panel to rub against the other panel at the'hinge joint and mutilate the contacting surfaces.

In the specific embocliment of my invention herein illustrated I1 have puefer'red' to show my improvement in association with the hinged panels of an. automobile hood. The particulan hingedconstruction in association with which-I have'illnstratedj my invention is that described in United States Patent #1,2&7,71'5' dated November 2751917. In this patent an automobile hood is used'to illustrate the invention therein described] and the hinge construction is such thatthe surfaces of the swinging sections adjacent the hinge joint rub against each'other as one section is swung relative the other. This rubbing of the one section against the other breaks the enamel and mars the exposed-surface ofthe panel at the hinge. My improvement eliminates this undesirable result.

An object is to provide in a hingediconnection means to eliminatethe rubbing contact oi the swingable section at the hinge which produces defaceinent of the exposed-surface of such swingablesection. V

A further object is to provide means to maintain yielding pressure on a pivotally supported swinging section of al'iinged construction to hold such section away from the section to which it 1s hinged, thereby preventing abrasive contact ofthe sections and eliminating surface defacement atthe hingejoint.

Further important objects. of the in've n-. tion relate t'o'a hinged connection in, which, by means of a suitable arrangement of springs, yielding pressure is maintained. on the relatively swingable sections. to. hold them apartduring the swinging movement; and in a preferred'form ofa specific embodi ment. to a hinged connection, in which springs are arranged between the pivotally supported sections to exert pressure thereon in opposite directions; and to anarrangement of stops between in,-t,urned adj acejnt edges of: swingable panel sections of a. hinged connection to maintain distance therebetween In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a. brolzeu' away sectional; view through an automobile hood equipped'with my in'i'provement;

Fig; 2 is an enlarged firag nentary section of a view of the hinge structure.

Fig; 3 is a sectional view similar 'to-Fig. 2 showing a different form of spring.

Fig. 4: andFig. 5 are sectional views siinilar to Fig. 2 showing separate forms of spring structures.

Fig. 6 is a perspective ofa preferred form of spring.

Fig. 7] is a perspective of the end piece used in the tubular member.

Fig. 8 isa perspective of a modified form of end piece.

Fig. 9-is a perspective showing the swinging' panelsections and hinge connection.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan showing the swinging panels and a portion of the support therefor;

In the 'specifichinge' construction, here em ployed to illustrate my improvement, an object is to provide yielding means to maintain pressure on apivotally supported hood panel section to prevent such panel from contacting with. the, panel} to which it is hinged so as to eliminate breaking of the surface enamel and mutilation of thepanel adjacent the hinge. In automobile hood construction this rubbing contact of the panel surfaces at the hinge breaks the enamel and exposes the metal to rust and produces an unsightly appearance of the hood panels at the hinge.

In the particular hinge construction in connection with which I have here shown my invention the panel sections have inturned marginal portions which are received in a longitudinal slot formed in the flattened face of the tubular casing. Each in-turned marginal portion is bent back upon itself within the casing as shown. In this construction one panel section may swing relative the other to lie flat thereagainst, as shown in Fig. 2 in dotted outline. The casing itself is swingable relative the panel sections and when one of the panel sections is swung from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2,- or through an arc of approximately 180 degrees, the casing itself swings relative the panel through an arc of approximately 90 degrees.

I provide means to eliminate the rubbing contact of the adjacent surfaces of the panel sections during this swinging movement. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown springs fashioned after the form of the spring shown in perspective in Fig. 6. The opposite in-turned flange portions of the panel sections are provided with apertures to receive the ends of the springs disposed between the panels.

In the drawing, one panel section is indicated as 10, a second panel section as 11,

and a tubular casing, here shown in the form of a half-round, though obviously it might take another shape, as 12. The flattened face of this casing is longitudinally slotted at 13. The edge of each panel section is turned over at 14 into the slot in the casing. This in-turned marginal portion of the panel section is doubled back as at 15 and opposite marginal portions of adjacent pan els are provided with opposite apertures 16 to receive the opposite ends of a spring 17 which is held under compression between the panels, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to exert yielding pressure outwardly on the panels in opposite directions to hold the panels apart and to prevent rubbing contact of the panels at the hinge joint during the swinging thereof. These springs may be used in such number as is found necessary.

In Fig. 3 a slightly different type of compression spring is employed, this spring being corrugated, but the result accomplished thereby is the same.

In Figs. 4: .and 5 expansion springs are used. These springs loop through the apertures in the in-turned flanges of the panels on the outside and exert yielding pressure to hold the panels apart.

The casing is provided with end pieces 18 which may be secured in the casing by screws 19 received in the apertures 19 The bottom of the end pieces is cut away as at 20 to provide a drainage outlet for the casing. The upper surface of the end pieces is cut away at 21 to receive the iii-turned flange 14 of the panel section when the same is rotated by the swinging of the panel. 7

In Fig. 8 I have shown an end piece provided with a teat-like projection 22 and an end extension 23 positioned on a line with the apex of the projection. This projection extends upwardly from the bottom of the out out portion in the face of the end piece between the opposite iii-turned edges of the panel sections. The lateral faces of this projection are concaved so that when one panel is swung relative the other the inturned marginal portion rides over this concaved face to prevent rubbing contact of the panel sections. The end extension 23 also serves to hold separate panel sections apart.

What I claim is:

1. In a hinged connection, in combination, two panels hinged together to permit swinging movement of one panel relative the other, said panels having in-turned edges adjacent the hinge joint, and yieldable means engaging said panels at the joint to exert pressure thereon to hold them apart.

2. In a hinged connection, in combination, two panels having in-turned adjacent edges and being hinged together to permit swinging movement of one panel relative the other, and means interposed between inturned edges of said panels to prevent abrasive contact of said edges during swinging movement.

3. In a hinged connection, in combination, two panels having in-turned adjacent edges and being hinged together to permit swinging movement of one panel relative the other, and resilient means engaging the in-turned edges of said panels tending to' hold them yieldingly apart.

4. In a hinged connection, in combination, two panels hinged together to permit swinging movement of one panel relative the other, said panels having in-turned edges provided with opposed apertures, spring means engaged in said apertures to exert pressure on said panels in opposite directions.

5. In a hinged connection, two panels having in-turned adjacent edges received within a slotted casing to permit swinging movement of one panel relative the other, and yieldable means engaging the in-turned edges of said panels to exert pressure thereon in opposite directions.

6. In a hinged connection, in combination, two panel sections having inturned adjacent edges, a longitudinally slotted casing, the in-turned edges of said panel sections received within the slotted opening in said casing to permit swinging movement of one panel section relative the other, and means interposed between the in-turned edges of said panel sections to hold the same apart during the swinging movement of said panel sections.

7 In a. hinged connection, in combination, tWo panel sections having in-turned adjacent edges, a longitudinally slotted casing, the in-turned edges of said panel sections received Within the slotted opening in said casing to permit swinging movement of one panel section relative the other, and 10 spring means Within said casing engaging the in-turned edges of said panel sections to exert pressure thereon in opposite directions.

cation.

ROY W. KUMLER. 

